


A Few Quirks

by patchfire, raving_liberal



Series: AKA Jonah [8]
Category: Glee
Genre: Family, Gen, Legal Guardianship, Parental Rights, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 06:25:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8390692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patchfire/pseuds/patchfire, https://archiveofourown.org/users/raving_liberal/pseuds/raving_liberal
Summary: Burt realizes it's time to make some changes to Puck's legal situation.





	

Burt puts down the phone and sighs. He’s glad Puckerman hasn’t asked him outright if anyone else has heard from his mother, because Burt wouldn’t lie to him. Burt isn’t exactly proud of secretly confirming Puckerman has his mother’s number blocked, or adding Ms. Puckerman’s lawyer’s number to the blocked list, but he’s not sorry about it. 

He probably needs to think of him as something other than ‘Puckerman’, too, but one step at a time, Burt figures. 

Burt’s had two conversations with the lawyer Puck had visited, enough to make sure that the lawyer was keeping up with everything Ms. Puckerman was doing, and now he feels like they’re at some kind of crossroads. The lawyer can’t tell Burt anything else without Puckerman giving explicit permission, and Ms. Puckerman’s making noise with her lawyer about Puckerman being a “runaway,” which isn’t close with reality. Still, they’re a few weeks into summer, and Burt knows it’s probably time to sit down and talk about Ms. Puckerman again. 

First, though, he has one other thing to decide about. Burt stands and makes sure the door is closed before sitting down, then picks the phone up again and scrolls through his contacts before pressing the name he’s looking for. He listens to it ring twice before Carole answers. 

“Hello, you,” Carole says. “I was just thinking about you.”

“Good things, I hope,” Burt says with a chuckle. 

“Of course!”

“I’ve been thinking, and I wanted to run something by you. Get your opinion,” Burt says. 

“Okay. I’m listening,” Carole says. 

“Puckerman’s legal status is a little tenuous,” Burt explains. “Technically he’s still under the guardianship of his mother, and she’s trying to use that against him with these custody filings.”

“Oh dear. I hate that she’s acting like this, but I suppose it’s not surprising,” Carole says. “Is there anything we can do about it?”

“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk about. I could petition for guardianship. Not likely she’d sign off on adoption, per se, even if Puckerman wanted that, but guardianship, I could do.” 

Carole makes a thoughtful noise. “That’s a lot to take on. Are you sure you want to be legally responsible for Noah and Joel?”

“I’m thinking somebody’s gotta be, and right now, his mother sure isn’t being morally responsible,” Burt says. 

“Maybe we should move them in at my place. We don’t really have the room, but I’ve known Debbie for years, and it might sting less coming from me,” Carole offers. 

“You don’t have the room,” Burt agrees, “and maybe that leaves a little bit of communication open between you and her, if it comes from me.” 

“Do you think Noah will take it well?”

“I think he seems to view himself as taking care of himself. I take it his mother wasn’t exactly involved in his life before Joel came along?” 

Carole makes the thoughtful noise again. “She was never the most engaged parent, it’s true.”

“I don’t think he’d be happy if I started imposing a chore chart and a bedtime,” Burt admits. “But that wouldn’t be my intent.” 

“Though if he’s living there, he should be contributing to some of the household chores,” Carole says. “Having a baby doesn’t give you a free pass on household participation.”

“I don’t think he needs a sticker chart, does he?” Burt says. 

“I used one for Finn until he started high school.”

“Well, Puckerman already has a rotation of lawns he mows. Says it’s his apology to the neighbors and me for the state of his truck. I tried to convince him to bring it in to the shop so I could look at it, but I haven’t convinced him yet.” Burt brightens. “Hey, if I’m his guardian, I can make him bring it in.” 

“Good. I’m not convinced that thing isn’t a death trap,” Carole says. 

“But you think overall, it’s not a bad idea?” Burt asks. 

“Not at all. I think it’s very generous,” Carole says. “He’s lucky to have you.”

“Guess I should talk it over with Kurt before I say anything to Puckerman, though,” Burt says. “Thanks for letting me bounce it off you.” 

“Anytime, Burt. You know I’m always here for you,” Carole says. 

“I’ll talk to you soon,” Burt says before hanging up. He goes back to his contacts page and hits Kurt’s name. Kurt picks up after three rings. 

“Hello, Dad.”

“Hi, kiddo. Where are you this afternoon?” 

“Out with some friends. Why?” Kurt asks. “Do you need me to pick something up for dinner?”

“Thought we should talk about a couple of things. Maybe you could stop by the shop on your way home?” 

“I can do that.”

“I’ll see you later, then,” Burt says. He hangs up and goes back into the shop to work. When he hears Kurt pull up, he heads back to the office to meet him. “Have a good afternoon?” Burt asks as soon as Kurt walks in. 

“I did. How about you?” Kurt asks. 

“Regular old afternoon at the shop,” Burt says. “Take a seat.” 

Kurt sits, looking worried. “Is everything okay?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” Burt assures him. “I’ve been talking to Puckerman’s lawyer, and thinking, and I wanted to run this by you. I’m thinking about filing to be Puckerman’s legal guardian.” 

“Oh!” Kurt says. “So he would stay with us until graduation?”

“Yeah, that’d be the idea,” Burt says with a nod. 

“That’s exciting! And a much better alternative than him moving back in with his mother. That would _not_ be acceptable,” Kurt says. 

“No, that wouldn’t. Maybe we could get him to quit rinsing the aluminum foil to reuse it, too,” Burt says. 

“It’s like he grew up during the Great Depression,” Kurt says. “He rinses ziploc bags, too.”

“Definitely got a few quirks,” Burt says. “But you don’t have any objections?” 

Kurt shakes his head. “I’m already starting to think of Joel as my nephew, and I’m warming to the idea of having a brother.”

“Teasing you already?” Burt asks. 

“A bit, but it’s well-intended,” Kurt says. “No pee balloons.”

Burt shakes his head. “If I catch the two of you filling up balloons, with water or otherwise…” 

“Oh, no no no,” Kurt says, waving his hands. “None of that!”

“Better stay that way,” Burt says. “I’ll be heading out in another thirty minutes.” 

“I’ll start dinner. Should I mention this to Puck or wait until the legal details are worked out?”

“I’ll talk to the lawyer again tomorrow, then mention it to him at dinner tomorrow night,” Burt says. “Only twenty-four hours to keep it quiet.” 

“Will do,” Kurt says. 

Burt calls the lawyer’s office just before close of business to make sure the lawyer has time for an extended conversation the next morning, and then blocks off time on his own schedule. The conversation is more straightforward than Burt expects, and he spends the extra time he’d blocked off mentally rehearsing ways to bring it up to Puckerman. He makes a mental note to ask Puckerman what he’d prefer Burt to call him. 

Even though Burt’s pretty sure he’s doing exactly the right thing, he does feel a little nervous as dinner approaches. Kurt has prepared some sort of chicken dish with a side of what looks like really skinny carrots with a glaze of some sort. Puckerman comes up from the basement with Joel just before the food’s ready, and he looks quizzically at Kurt once. 

Puckerman mumbles something to Kurt that ends with “... dinner?” and Kurt nods. Puckerman looks pleased enough and sits down with Joel. Burt waits until the food is on their plates before he clears his throat. 

“Well, Puckerman, Kurt and I have a proposition for you,” Burt says. 

Puckerman looks startled and glances at Kurt for a few seconds, then back at Burt, nodding. “Okay?” 

“I know that all of the legal stuff with your mother isn’t real fun to discuss, but things are coming to a little bit of a head now, and one of the things she’ll probably try to use against you keeping custody is that you aren’t living at home.” 

“She’ll try to say I ran away?” Puck guesses, and Burt nods. Puck sighs. “Figures.” 

“So, uh,” Burt says, clearing his throat a second time. “I thought I could apply to be your legal guardian. Get around that claim that way.” 

“What does that mean?” Puckerman asks. Burt takes a drink to cover up his smile, because Puckerman’s arms tightened around Joel when he asked. “Like… adoption?” 

“Not exactly. That’d be a lot harder,” Burt says. “But it’d mean I could sign permission slips and prove you have a stable home, even if it’s not where your mother might like. Now, the lawyer didn’t violate any confidentiality talking to me, but he thinks that your claim to retain custody would be a lot stronger if you have another adult serving as your legal guardian.” 

“Yeah, okay, I can see that,” Puckerman says as he nods. “So it’d be where the papers always say ‘parent-slash-guardian’, like that?” 

“Exactly,” Burt says, feeling relieved that he doesn’t have to try to remember any of the legal terms the lawyer’d mentioned. 

“Okay. Yeah. That makes sense,” Puckerman says. “Do we have to do anything now or wait until my mom tries to take me to court?” 

“The lawyer thought they’d probably combine the two petitions. He said it makes it easier on him to explain to the judge what’s going on, too. You’re definitely alright with this?” 

“Yeah, I mean, I don’t have to change my last name or anything, right? And Joel’s still mine.” He stops and rolls his eyes. “Or, well, as soon as my mom gets denied.” 

“Yeah, that’s about the sum of it,” Burt says. “I guess I ought to stop calling you ‘Puckerman’ though. What would you prefer?” 

Puckerman shrugs. “Puck’s fine. I mean, you can use Noah if you insist, but almost everyone calls me Puck.” 

“Well, I’ll try,” Burt says doubtfully, which makes Puckerman grin. Burt turns back to his plate of chicken and skinny carrots, overall feeling relieved. When they’re finished eating, Puckerman—Puck—goes back downstairs with Joel, and Kurt starts to follow him. 

“Hang on just a minute, Kurt,” Burt says. He waits for the basement door to shut and for Kurt to walk towards the sink. “So we’re all good with this new step? You know Puckerman better than I do. He wasn’t just saying it was okay?” 

“I think he’s still processing it, but I don’t think it was negatively received,” Kurt says. “Besides, who wouldn’t want to be a part of our family?” 

“I’m sure you could find someone who didn’t want an old dad in a ballcap,” Burt says. “Or someone who wanted a dog to be included.” 

Kurt shudders dramatically. “Why would anyone want a dog to be included? All that shedding!”

Burt laughs. “Neither one of us wants that.”


End file.
